SINGLE PEOPLE WILL BE DEPRIVED OF THE RIGHT FOR SURROGACY

A group of deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation is preparing a draft law on surrogate maternity. It is supposed to introduce a ban on the receipt of such a service for singles, as well as for the foreign citizens, to supplement the age criteria for participants in the procedure and specify the terms of applying for surrogacy by a couple.

In particular, the draft law provides that only a married couple can use the possibility of surrogacy, a year after the state registration of marriage and on the recommendation of a doctor.

The current legislation gives the right to participate in the surrogacy procedure to both unmarried couples and single women.

According to parliamentarians, the existing order is not aimed at supporting the family, motherhood and childhood, and also does not correspond with the traditional concept of marriage. Oksana Pushkina, who found the draft law contrary to the basic norms of the Constitution, has already criticized the new approach.

As for the introduction of a ban on foreigners' participation in surrogacy, according to the authors of the draft law, this is a necessary measure for a number of reasons. In particular, due to the situation that developed during the coronavirus pandemic.

During the lockdown, many foreigners were unable to come to Russia, and the children born by surrogate mothers were left in limbo.

In addition, the parliamentarians point to an established market for the export of Russian children abroad, which seriously damages Russia's reputation and contradicts the principles enshrined in the Constitution.

Discussion of the draft law is planned to be held at the next parliamentary hearings, but it is too early to talk about the time of its adoption.